These meat-free Sofritas are the copycat version of the popular Chipotle plant-based protein. But I’ll let you in on a secret: homemade sofritas taste 10x more flavorful and fresh!
Layers of broiled poblanos, chipotle peppers, a few spices, and aromatics come together to make the star of the show in this recipe: the sauce. Pour this deeply layered sauce over a skillet packed with lightly fried tofu and briefly simmer.
In the end, you’re left with an irresistibly smoky, slightly spicy, burrito (or burrito bowl) topping that’s shockingly wholesome (12g protein + 5g fiber per serving!).
These sofritas are so good you’ll want to just eat them on their own, or over a simple bowl of rice. If you have more time, stuff them into vegan burritos, tacos, or go all out with a vegan crunchwrap supreme.
Table of Contents:
1. What is sofritas?
2. Why this recipe works
3. Ingredient Notes
4. Step-by-step instructions
5. Tips for making this recipe
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. Recipe Card
What is sofritas?
Sofritas is Chipotle’s answer to plant-based protein. It’s a fabulous taco, burrito, or quesadilla filling made from crumbled tofu that’s been simmered in an aromatic sauce made from poblano peppers, chipotle peppers, tomatoes, and spices.
They’ve been around since 2014, but I wanted to share how to make a copycat Chipotle sofritas at home because (1) it tastes way better, and (2) it’s a wholesome, protein-packed versatile option you can meal prep, or pile on top of vegan nachos, use in Chipotle copycat vegan burrito bowls or breakfast burritos, or fold into tacos or quesadillas.
Why this recipe works
They have the same texture as the original.
After ordering several rounds of sofritas-and-rice-only bowls from Chipotle, I’ve gotten to know the taste and texture of sofritas very well. It’s chewier, firmer, and meatier than standard extra-firm tofu you get at the grocery store. And that’s because Chipotle makes its own tofu from soybeans.
To make things easier, I rely on super firm tofu instead. It’s the best option for replicating the meaty texture of Chipotle’s sofritas. It also has very little moisture, meaning there’s almost no prep work (e.g., pressing) involved.
And they’re so much more flavorful.
The deeply layered, smoky sauce here helps this Chipotle sofritas recipe stand out from the rest. Many other recipes just blend all of the raw sauce ingredients in a blender and call it a day. Sure, that’s easy, but it results in a bland, unmemorable sofritas.
Here, the poblano peppers are broiled to bring out their naturally smoky and sweet flavor. In addition, the aromatics and spices are sautéed to bring out their richness. Everything is blended together to leave you with a deep, rich, and layered sauce.
Ingredient notes
Super firm tofu. Also known as high-protein tofu. It has the least amount of water of any variety of tofu, which means (1) you don’t need to press it beforehand, and (2) it has the same chewy, firm texture as the OG Chipotle sofritas.
Where to buy: Well-stocked grocery stores, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Trader Joes, as well as Asian grocery stores. Popular brands include Wildwood, Nasoya, and House Foods.
Substitute: Extra-firm tofu but with a couple changes. Check out the FAQ section for details.
Poblano pepper. This is similar to a green bell pepper but it has a bit more of a kick and a slightly richer flavor.
Substitute: If you don’t have access to poblanos, a small or medium green bell pepper will also work well.
Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. A little goes a long way! If you like your sofritas on the mild side, use less of the adobo sauce.
Tomatoes. For tangy, fresh, and very subtly sweet flavors.
Spices. A blend of cumin, Mexican oregano, and ancho chile powder adds plenty of warmth and flavor. Feel free to use regular oregano and chile powder if that’s what’s available to you.
Acidic ingredients. Chipotle uses white vinegar (most likely to keep costs down). I opt for red wine vinegar, as it adds more flavor and enhances the tang of the tomatoes. And finish with a squeeze of lime for a fresh zing at the end.
Step-by-step instructions
Broil the poblano pepper. There are two ways to do this:
- Underneath the broiler in the oven.
- Over a gas burner on high heat (stem removed first).
Once it’s broiled, blistered, and blackened, that’s it. No need to peel or de-seed.
Saute the aromatics. Add the onions to a hot pan with oil. Saute until they start to get some color, then add the garlic. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, oregano, chile powder, salt, and pepper.
Finish by stirring in the chopped tomatoes. Cook until they’re soft, then transfer the mixture to a blender and clean out the pan.
Blend the sauce. Add the broiled poblano pepper, chipotle peppers in adobo, vinegar, and water to the blender with the tomato mixture. Blend until relatively smooth. Taste, adjusting seasonings as desired.
Slice the tofu into 4 slabs and gently press with a towel to remove some water. Crumble the tofu into small pieces into a bowl.
Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and add the crumbled tofu in a single packed layer. Cook undisturbed for a few minutes, then flip and repeat a few times, until mostly browned.
Add the sauce. Pour the blended sauce over the tofu in the pan and simmer until thickened and saucy, stirring occasionally until it starts to thicken.
Adjust the flavor as needed and finish it off with fresh lime juice and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
Tips for making this recipe
Super firm tofu is your best option.
It has a similar meaty texture to the tofu Chipotle uses, lending a more realistic result. You can use extra firm tofu instead, but you’ll need to follow the instructions in the FAQ section before getting started.
You need blueberry-sized tofu crumbles.
If you’ve ever made tofu scramble, then you should be familiar with crumbling tofu.
Sofritas recipes require the tofu to be crumbled but smaller: you’re going for crumbles about the same size as a blueberry.
Any larger and it starts to feel more like tofu scramble and less like sofritas; plus, the sauce won’t penetrate all the way through the tofu.
Don’t skip the broiled pepper.
Broiling the poblano lends a nice smoky undertone and a subtle sweetness to the sofritas sauce.
Broiling the pepper over the flame on a gas stove is my preferred method, as it results in a smokier flavor. Alternatively, go with the oven broiler method if you want to keep this recipe as hands-off as possible.
Multitask!
Want to save 10ish minutes? Cook the tofu and the aromatics in separate pans on the stove at the same time.
Use it in so many ways.
Sofritas are an absolute must in vegan burritos and burrito bowls! Add some white or brown rice to a bowl (or tortilla) and layer the sofritas over top along with more toppings, like:
- Pico de gallo (5th recipe card in this post)
- Guacamole (6th recipe card)
- Mexican Black Beans for extra protein (or pinto beans)
- Refried beans (4th recipe card)
- Pickled onions (7th recipe card)
- Vegan sour cream (last recipe card) or cashew crema
- Vegan queso
And that’s not even all. Sofritas can be used anywhere else you need a protein-packed filling or topping. Sprinkle them on top of a platter of nachos, stuff them in tacos or quesadillas, stir them into vegan chili mac, and more. For breakfast, pair with Just Egg for breakfast burritos.
And if you have my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, make the Frijoles in Chapter 3 alongside these sofritas for a Mexican-inspired meal prep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use extra firm tofu instead, but follow these instructions instead of those in the recipe card:
1. Press the tofu: Cut the brick of tofu into 4 slabs, then cover them with clean kitchen towels and place something heavy on top to help squeeze out the water. Press for 15 to 20 minutes, ideally changing the towel halfway through. Or, use a tofu press (affiliate link).
2. Crumble the tofu into blueberry-sized chunks.
3. Coat the chunks in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and a pinch of salt.
Don’t skip the cornstarch. It’s necessary for crispy tofu crumbles with extra chew, helping them taste just like Chipotle’s version.
You could use tempeh or soy curls, or a soy-free protein like pumfu (pumpkin seed tofu) or jackfruit if you have a soy allergy. Just know that the texture will be very different from the original.
You don’t have to. The blistered skin adds a nice charred smokiness to the sauce, and the seeds are mild and just get blended into the sauce.
This sofritas is fairly spicy. If you want milder heat, use less of the adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers. If you want even more heat, taste the sauce, then add another teaspoon of adobo sauce as desired.
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. They’re just as delicious when reheated the next day! I prefer to spread them out in a frying pan until warmed through and a bit crisp, but you can microwave them in a pinch.
You can freeze the sofritas once cooled, but the texture will not be quite the same.
If you love this Chipotle Copycat Sofritas recipe as much as we do, please be sure to leave a rating and review below :) It’s always much appreciated!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Sofritas
Ingredients
- 1 poblano pepper or green bell pepper, kept whole
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow or red onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano or regular oregano
- ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- A generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 (12 to 16-ounce) block of super firm tofu (also sold as high-protein tofu)*
- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo + 1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce**
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ½ cup (120 mL) water
- Lime juice to finish
Instructions
- Broil the poblano pepper or green bell pepper. You have two options; the gas flame gets you a smokier flavor. No need to peel or remove the seeds when done.a. Broiler: Arrange an oven rack 6 inches underneath the broiler flame. Lightly oil the whole poblano pepper. Add the pepper to a sheet pan and broil for 5 minutes, flip, and repeat. Allow to cool a bit, then remove the stem and seeds inside.b. Gas flame: Cut the stem off from the pepper. Turn a gas burner to high heat. Use metal tongs to arrange the pepper on top of the flame. Using tongs, turn the pepper occasionally, about every minute, until the skin on all sides is blackened and blistered, about 4 minutes total, but do not allow it to turn to white ash or catch fire.
- Cook the aromatics. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in a medium nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until just starting to get some color. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomato paste, cumin, oregano, chile powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook until they’ve softened, about 5 minutes. Clean out the pan.***
- While the onions are cooking, cut the tofu into 4 slabs. Squeeze out as much water as you can. Crumble tofu into small pieces, about the size of a blueberry. See the photo for reference.
- Transfer the onion-tomato mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the broiled poblano pepper, chipotle peppers in adobo, vinegar, and water. Blend until relatively smooth. Taste the sauce, adding any sweetener as needed or more vinegar or salt.
- Heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tofu and spread out in a single packed layer and season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Allow to cook 2 to 3 minutes undisturbed. Flip and continue cooking for a total of 12 minutes, stirring only every 2 to 3 minutes, until most of the tofu is browned.
- Pour in the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’ll start to thicken, so turn the heat to medium or medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes, or until flavors have developed and tofu is saucy. If it gets too thick, add a few splashes of water.
- Taste, adjusting seasonings as needed. If it’s a bit tangy, add a pinch of organic brown or cane sugar. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
How many oz or grams per serving?
Hi Joshua, unfortunately we haven’t weighed each serving of this recipe :/ So you’ll just have to divide the final weight by 4. Sorry about that!
You are correct! This is better than Chipotle. Energetically too <3 :-)
So glad to hear you loved this recipe! :)
Eek ~ I added the whole can of Adobo ~ don’t make the same mistake!
Oh no, Sean! Better luck next time!
My son who is not a fan of tofu loved this. Absolutely delicious
Those words are music to our ears, Claudia! Thanks for the lovely review.
Another hit! My local Costco had bags of poblanos so I got one and roughly 4x the recipe. It made enough for dinner and 6 pint mason jars that went in the freezer for the future. I served with Rosarita refried beans and air fried corn kernels (all also from Costco). Love you vegan queen! Please bring your pop up to LA.
Great costco find, Alex! And that meal sounds delicious. Thanks for the kind words! :)
This was a labor intensive recipe and I used quite a bit of kitchen gear, but wow, was it worth it? Yes! I’ve eaten the actual Chipotle sofritas only a few times and not recently so I can’t compare to that item. However, I love the depth of flavor the sofrita sauce has. I followed the recipe more closely than I usually follow other recipes because I wanted something different. This recipe will be on my repeat list! Thank you.
Hi Linda, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
My younger grandchildren are GF and vegan. They tend to be somewhat picky, usually enjoy vegetables…they couldn’t get enough of the Sofrita mixture with Queso sauce on their tacos. Seved with grated cabbage and corn and homemade Tomatilla salsa…so good. Also the Walnut “Chorizo” fantastic.
Those words are music to our ears, Beth! Thanks for sharing :)
I made this Sofritas for a “taco Tuesday” dinner and was truly amazed by the flavour. I made it again last Saturday for an afternoon snack with nachos, alongside guacamole and salsa. Needless to say it got rave reviews from my guests! Both times, I roasted a bell pepper in the oven — 1st time was a green one, 2nd time a red one and the Sofritas was as good, so just use whichever you have on hand. I also used regular chili powder (vs ancho’s) and a tiny amount of dehydrated jalapeño pepper in lieu of the chipotle pepper in adobo and adobo sauce. I do find it a bit of work, but oh so worth it!!!
Looks great! Unfortunately I don’t have anything suitable for broiling, only an induction stove and electric oven. Is there any way around it?
Sure, you can char the poblano pepper in a cast iron skillet instead. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat with just a thin coating of oil. Once warm, add
the poblano pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until charred all over, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit.
Enjoy the sofritas!
I had the same question! Thanks! Also, the instructions say there’s no need to remove the seeds. But right under the broil option it says to remove. I’d love to make this, thank you!
Can I use crumbled tempeh instead? Will I need to make changes to the other ingredients since tempeh is pretty strong flavour? There’s no extra firm tofu where I am =(
Hi Erma, unfortunately it won’t be sofritas this way, but you can try subbing with tempeh! Some suggestions below.
If you have access to extra firm tofu, that would probably work better.
If you do want to use tempeh:
1. Steam the tempeh. Steam the crumbled tempeh before further cooking it to mellow out some of its bitterness.
2. Increase seasonings: Tempeh has a stronger flavor than tofu, so you might want to add a bit more of the spices like cumin, oregano, and ancho chile powder to help balance it out. Start by increasing each by ¼ teaspoon, then taste and adjust if needed.
3. Adjust the sauce: If you feel the tempeh is still a bit bitter in flavor, you could try balancing it in three ways: a small amount of sweetener, like a pinch of sugar; increase the red wine vinegar and/or add some lime juice; add more salt to taste.
4. Cooking time: Since tempeh is firmer than tofu, you can crumble it into smaller pieces and cook it the same way as you would tofu, letting it brown and crisp up in the pan. You might find that it browns a bit faster, so keep an eye on it.
Best of luck to you with everything!
Hi, love your channel and your energy. That being said, I rarely eat tofu. If I use ground chicken or other ground meat, should I change up the spices?
Hi Sylvia, we’re vegan and don’t cook with meat, so I’m afraid we cannot advise you about whether it will work in this recipe.
I’m surprised by the amount of people on here coming from YouTube that are consuming animal products. I really like how you handled this comment!
This was amazing!!! I viewed it on your YouTube channel about 6 mos ago and I finally made it today. I used the salt in hot water method to make the tofu extra chewy and less spongy. I paired it with your queso vegan cheese (your recipe), pinto beans, rice, and homemade pico. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be 90% vegan if it wasn’t for your rainbow life channel. I thank God for creating you.
What’s the salt in hot water method for the tofu? Sounds intriguing.
Hello Julie, you can find her method in Vegan Curry with Tofu. Here’s the link:
https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-curry-with-tofu/
Hi Julie, you can learn about this method here (method 3!). Let us know if you have any questions!
This looks delicious! Do you have any tips for making it in bulk (e.g. if I wanted to quadruple the recipe to make for a crowd)?
Hi Allison, Ooh, fun idea.
I’d use the broil option for the poblano peppers.
For the onions, I’d add them to a large food processor or blender and pulse to finely chop (to avoid having to cut four onions). Same for the garlic – add the cloves to a food processor to chop.
A standard tube of tomato paste contains 9 tablespoons, so I’d just squeeze out the whole amount instead of measuring 8 tablespoons.
Depending on the size of your blender, you might be able to make the sauce in two batches instead of four.
8 roma tomatoes is approximately 32 ounces, so you could take a shortcut and use 1 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, and crush them with your hands.
For the best texture on the tofu, you’ll want to cook each block of tofu separately, but if you’re less concerned about the ideal texture, you can try cooking the four blocks of crumbled tofu in two or three batches.
To combine the sauce and pan-fried tofu, you can use your largest Dutch oven instead of a frying pan or saute pan.
Hope these suggestions help!
Cool! Thanks for your response, great suggestions. Excited to try it.
You’re welcome, Allison. Best of luck!
Made this for a taco night as a vegetarian option, and it was really easy, flavorful and a hit! It’s saucy in a good way. I think adding that hit of acid at the end with a lime balances it perfectly. Pretty perfect recipe as written.
We’re over the moon to hear the recipe was a hit, Amit. Thanks for your kind words!
This was incredible! Another fantastic recipe, thank you !
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Christy!
Hi Nisha, before I try this recipe I wanted to ask in which step could I add canned black beans? I don’t want to add them plain as another element in my burrito bowl, I’d like them to soak up some of the flavour from the sofritas. Thanks so much for your time! :)
Hi Kate, if you want to add black beans to the sofritas, drain and rinse them well. Add them in along with the sauce in Step 6. Since there’ll be less sauce to cover the beans, I’d slightly increase the sauce quantity by making the following changes: (1) use a large onion; (2) use 6 garlic cloves; use 3 TBSP tomato paste; (4) use 2 tsp ground cumin.
Also, when you have the time, I’d recommend making Nisha’s Mexican black beans recipe. They are SO flavorful yet easy to make.
Thank you Kaitlin, I tried this with your recommended adjustments and it was amazing! The flavour the charred pepper gives is just phenomenal, and step 5 gave me perfect tofu very easily – just amazing recipe and will be making it again. Staple meal for sure :)
P.S. I will try the black bean recipe next!
Yay, we’re so happy to hear it went well for you, Kate! :) Cheers!
Fantastic. I was in love with Chipotle’s after visiting the US in summer, and was so sad, that we do not have Chipotle’s where I live. I googled a recipe, found your recipe and what shall I say? It tastes exactly like Chipotle’s Sofritas, if not even better! Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe!
Thanks for the kind words, Sarah! So cool to hear this recipe scratched that chipotle itch for you! Another one of my favorite copycat mexican recipes from Nisha is this crunchwrap. It’s a bit of work like the burrito bowls but well worth it for the final outcome!
This turned out amazing and so flavorful. Tasting the sauce before I combined with the tofu crumbles…I knew it was going to turn out great.
I did have to make some substitutions to work with what I had but the sofritas still tasted great. Subbed an extra broiled jalapeño with hot sauce for the chipotle peppers in árbol. Subbed coriander powder for oregano and pressed my firm tofu to make it extra firm. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Very excited to try it next time with all the listed ingredients.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Ankita! It’s great to hear the sofritas turned out well for you.
Hi! I made this recipe and it was DELICIOUS! I have a silly question, though: I broiled my poblano pepper in the oven. Step 1 says you can do either method and that you can leave skin and seeds on but Step 1a says to remove seeds: do seeds need to be removed if broiling in the oven? Thank you!
Hi Debbie, it’s awesome to hear you loved the recipe! Good point. You don’t need to remove the seeds if you don’t want, as they are mild (you should of course remove the stem, as written in the recipe). Sorry for the confusion!
Can I make this in the slow cooker?
Hi Logan, unfortunately no because neither the broiling, sauteeing or blending steps can be done in slow cooker.. And the tofu needs to be pan-fried to achieve a specific texture. We hope you get the chance to try the recipe, though!
This recipe is FANTASTIC!!! My fiancé loves your saucy black bean version of this instead of tofu. (He believes the hype that men can’t eat tofu… oh well… MORE FOR ME!!!)
Hi Lesley, thank you so much for your kind review!